Through the Eye of the Tortured
by PennMarx
Summary: This is a non-canon account of what happened after Kano lost the battle against Mavado, being killed by the Red Dragon instead of captured. A 5-part story demonstrating what it's like in the Netherealm.
1. Stand and Wait

Through the Eye of the Tortured

Chapter 1: We will have Fun

Kano had spent much of his life fighting for money and power, but his years serving Shao Kahn left him soft and secure, used to being a warlord without needing to get his hands dirty. He was skilled when he needed to talk his way out of any situation and gain favours, but Mavado would not hear a word from his lips. Kano had joined the Deadly Alliance, unaware that his old enemy was also a part of this group. Mavado also joined them for acquiring power, but his price was simple - the chance to fight and kill Kano. In exchange for Kenshi's blood- soaked blindfold, Mavado was paid in full.

Kano fought like the cut-throat madman he was, but the faster, younger, disciplined Mavado, silently taunting him with Kabal's hookswords, gained the upper-hand. Kano could not focus, could not see beyond those weapons that belonged to his old friend... Mentally, he was already defeated, blinded by rage and careless with his technique. A deep kick into his chest led to Kano falling out of the arena in Quan Chi's Inner Sanctum chamber, into the deadly laser web below. As the searing hot beams cut through his body, Kano's mind flooded with memories... His adoptive parents holding him as a child in Tokyo, his friends in high school in Melbourne, the first time he met No Face and Tasia, who led him to join the Black Dragon, the horrible fight he had with Jax that cost him his eye, the first time he challenged Mavado, and his first encounter with Sonya and Daniel Blade and the rivalry that sparked between the three of them... Those would be his last notions of happiness.

The faces faded and he found himself falling down a tunnel of fire and brimstone, with snake-like monstrosities writhing and flicking their tongues as the new arrival fell before them. Screams of torment rang in his ears as he fell into the abyss and landed on the hard ground. His bones, or at least the equivalent to bones for a spirit, broke on impact, leaving Kano in terrible pain and unable to move. The loud slam of his body caught the attention of the other souls, but they did not help him; to get by in the Netherealm, one needed to do so on their own. Power for the fittest, eternal struggle for the rest.

Kano, surprisingly, picked himself off the ground, still in tremendous pain, but at least whole and capable of walking again. He took the time to look at himself in a reflective pool of mercury... He was naked, his skin burned in the pattern of the lasers that cut through his living body, and his mechanical eye was replaced by rotted flesh and a diseased, blind eye.

"The first recovery is quick, to account for the need to walk in line, but it is the only mercy you shall receive here."

Kano looked for where the voice came from, but he realized it was in his mind... Perhaps they were instructions all new arrivals received, and he was compelled to pay attention.

"You will remain in a suspended spiritual state for as long as it takes to determine your worth to the Netherealm. You will be unable to harm anyone while you await judgement. It will take some time before you can see and hear everything in the realm; however, everyone can see you."

Those last words sparked some fear in Kano. How many souls had he sent to the Netherealm over the years? How many would remember him? Would the ones he could not see bother him? He had so many questions, and for the first time since childhood, felt out of his element... He eventually saw, what appeared to be, multiple spirits waiting in single file, and proceeded to stand behind them.

The more he stood in the realm, the more he began to see, as if a layer of fog surrounding every object was slowly lifting... He saw metallic obelisks with protruding spikes covered with skeletons, and chains dangling with victims begging for freedom, volcanoes constantly erupting sulfur and lava, massive serpents stalking in the hot magma and snatching random passers in their gigantic jaws. Occasionally a random Demon would be grabbed, but quickly break out of the creature's hold. The sky was red and black with fire and smoke. It was not just sights Kano noticed slowly, but sounds. There were screams of beings tortured all around him, but among them were laughs, howls, discussions in languages he did not recognize, and most disturbing of all, low moans from a voice he had not heard in over ten years... The voice was that of a woman, and she growled his name as he walked in line. He looked up with his good eye and saw a naked Shokan suspended in the air by chained hooks attached to her limbs, but connected to nothing. Struggling left her skin partially torn, and a gaping hole in her chest revealed a damaged heart and ribcage, a reminder of her own death. The only part that seemed unnatural from this was her smiling and giggling as Kano neared her. Kano had not seen Sheeva since he watched Shao Kahn impale her. He smirked as her life faded from her face then; he smirked now looking at the broken image of her former self after years of bondage.

"Ha ha ha," she cackled, "a familiar face that isn't a warped Shokan's! How are you, Kano?"

Kano remained hard and cautious as he neared her. "Sheeva, you old cunt, I was feeling vogeled up til now, but it's nice to see your pretty face. You brightened up my day." Sheeva cocked her head to the side and stared.

"Oh, your days will only get better here, Kano, I can assure you! You want to know why?" Her eyes glowed red with intensity, and she flailed her arms wildly, hoping to grab Kano. "Because once I am free of these chains, I will rejoice in ripping you to pieces again, and again, and again! Can you imagine it? We will have FUN!"

Kano shrugged his shoulders, already annoyed with the Shokan. He would not allow himself to be broken by the likes of any horrors he saw here. "Sheeva, you always were a crazy, psychotic, 6-legged dingo bitch. I hope those chains wrap around your throat so that I don't have to hear you cry like a bloody whore for eternity."

Sheeva wriggled in the chains, her movements growing more frantic and her voice becoming more guttural "Ha ha ha ha ha, Kano, Kano, Kano... You just don't understand how this realm works, do you?" As she struggled more savagely, chained hooks appeared out of thin air and latched into the helpless Shokan. The hooks dug deeper into her flesh to keep her suspended, and more grew from each link to contain Sheeva more easily. Her green blood dripped at Kano's feet. "I will not rest until I am free of these bindings, Kano! The Netherealm knows this! I will rip you into so many tiny pieces, you won't regenerate for months! I will bathe in your blood!"

"Ha, then bring it, bitch! I'll see you after I deal with these judges and skull-fuck your brains out. If they're anything like yours truly, I'm going to coast on by here and you'll be on chains as I parade you around like the god-damnned mongrel you are."

A smile crept across Sheeva's face upon hearing this. She took in a deep breath, and started mumbling something Kano could not hear above the rattling chains as she moved, but she started screaming as several more bindings hooked into her skin, "MORE HOOKS, MORE BLOOD!"

Kano stepped back and prepared himself for whatever Sheeva was doing. When every inch of her skin was hooked, she threw herself backwards and lunged into Kano's direction. The chains and hooks held her for years because she could not bear the pain; today the pain was not important. The hooks ripped off her flesh and skin, but she was free to roam the Netherealm and free to have her revenge on Kano. Kano cannonballed into her, but it was useless; he simply bounced off like a balloon. Until he was judged, he could not fight, and Sheeva took full advantage of his predicament. She grabbed and threw Kano to the ground, and kept him pinned down while she pummelled him, screaming a Kuatan dialect. As every blow landed, Sheeva tapped into the Netherealm's essence, and her body healed and changed. Kano was blinded by the blood oozing from her wounds, and felt weak with pain and anguish, unable to fight back. It wasn't until a large, black, four-armed Demon grabbed Sheeva and held her back that Kano was able to stand. He knew better than to thank the Demon; it was more likely the creature wanted its own chance to throttle his helpless soul.

Sheeva screamed wildly, threatening the Demon with torture it could never dream of, until it let out a low growl and spoke in Kuatan, particularly Sheeva's dialect. She calmed herself and the Demon let her out of his four great arms. Her transformation was complete: Her torn skin and exposed muscles bulged and hardened, becoming scaly green armour, her hair grew down her back, a small Dragon-like tail appeared, the hole in her chest closed, and her hands and feet grew slender claws, mimicking viper fangs. Chains materialized around her torso and forearms, creating armour suitable for a Demon. The large Demon walked closer to Kano, his tiger-like head smelling the air around him. The Demon had a beige mane around his head, neck, and shoulders, and his body's fur was black and smelled of smoke. As the creature moved, ash and embers fell to the ground, and his footsteps scorched the barren earth.

"You stink of humanity, Kano," scoffed the Demon as he studied, and eventually picked Kano off the ground. His giant hands burned Kano's skin, creating a hissing sound as he clenched and held onto the squirming human. "A long time ago, as I chained you to my lord's arena, I suggested you and the woman be killed. Seeing you here now, I'm thankful the emperor thought against it."

Kano's memory was not as good as this being's. He remembered the events well enough, including being chained near Sonya, and shortly afterwards, watching this large being lead a team of Tarkata to find and capture Raiden while he was in a vulnerable, mortal form. However, Kintaro's name escaped him.

"Maybe if you were executed, I would be the new arrival here, and you would be teaching Sheeva patience. Oh yes, she and I will eventually make you regret your existence, but it is not yet time. Where is the joy in attacking a helpless opponent? And besides, once the Judges see you, you'll be so broken, you'll make Sheeva look sane in comparison."

"You were nothing but Shao Kahn's pet cat, Shokan. I ain't afraid of no Judges and the next time I see you, I'm turnin' you into kitty litter."

Kintaro was not impressed with Kano's bravado and kicked him into a nearby pillar. Some skeletons shattered while others moaned with dusty voices for help. "We'll see about that, human. Now come along, Sheeva, it is time to learn and master your new powers and take your rightful place amongst the Demons. You have been in chains for far too long."

Sheeva flicked her tongue as she followed Kintaro, and hissed as she took one final look at Kano. As he got up, he saw the two jump far away to another plane he could not see. He wondered what part of Hell he was in, but the thought slowly disappeared as he remembered he needed to stand in line and wait for his turn.


	2. Memories and Monsters

Through the Eye of the Tortured

Chapter 2: Memories and Monsters

Kano continued his trek towards the other spirits, all of who waited in single file for judgement. More Demons came and went in his field of vision, but none bothered with him. Some glanced and laughed, but most were uninterested. Kintaro may not have been the only Demon to see no sport in attacking one who could do them no harm... But that would change in due time. Perhaps through his own trials and tribulations, Kano would become a Demon the same way Sheeva did, but if anything, he hoped it would happen sooner rather than later. He betrayed Sheeva's plan to Shao Kahn and was directly responsible for her death. Who else would come to find him?

"Kano..."

He turned around but saw no one."Kano..." The voice whispered once more, gently, peacefully, longingly. It sounded vaguely familiar, but Kano could not put his finger on it. It was another woman's voice, but this time he was certain she was human. "Kano..." It whispered again, in his ear, in his head, the tone toying with his emotions, every whisper feeling like a stinging papercut. Who was calling him? Was the Netherealm stretching his sanity? Was it someone he could not see? It was impossible to tell.

"KANO!" The voice changed into a man's, thick and fierce, furious at Kano for some unknown wrong. Again, it sounded familiar and racked at Kano's mind. He stumbled as if given a blow to his head, as if the voice had struck him, bringing him to his knees.

"Do you remember us?" A third voice, another male but higher pitch, rang in his ear, inducing a burning sensation that left him writhing with pain on the floor.

All three voices called to Kano in unison, taunting him, all of them bringing out the horrible sensations Kano felt with each individual voice. His flesh was cut up and he was covered in his own blood, the ground swallowing every drop of it as the floor he laid on violently quaked and cracked beneath him, and all he could feel was a burning pain overcome him, searing his skin and wounds, blinding him as if flames lapped at his sores. Kano sprawled on the floor, covered in cuts, bruises, and burns, and was engulfed in a storm of sand and fire. What did these voices want?

"Leave me alone you fucking retards," he shouted into the air, "stop talking to me!"

"Why did you let us die?"

Suddenly, the aches and pains stopped. He looked down at his body and saw he was not harmed at all. The storm, if it had even happened, had subsided, and aside from the screams of pain from the denizens of the Netherealm, there were no more voices to be heard. However, the question he heard struck a chord with Kano. Who were these people he let die? Kano killed hundreds of people in his life, but the voices implied disappointment, as if he let them down somehow. Who could they be? All his life, he lived for himself, not others. Nobody relied on him, and he made sure of it. If he needed anyone, he would ask his allies or his friends, and he never betrayed anyone he cared about. He chose to do much on his own for the benefit of himself or the Black Dragon clan.

The screams of torment around him turned into childish laughter, and the surroundings became hauntingly familiar to Kano. He was in a schoolyard in Tokyo, two years before he and his parents moved to Australia. Memories of his childhood flooded his mind and filled the world around him. From nothing, perversions of those who mocked him as a little boy emerged and encircled him. He remembered their taunts distinctly; they called him a white devil, the son of a whore who bore him because she swallowed too much semen, and white trash that did not belong in their school. They pelted him with stones, shouting their slurs, spinning around him and making him dizzy and nauseous with disgust and sadness. When he reached his boiling point, he screamed with rage and dashed at them as he had in his youth. But they faded away as quickly as they appeared, and he found himself yelling at nothing but a vast, charred beach with ashes for a shore and magma for an ocean.

"Your turn approaches. Please return to the line." The voice rang in his head, compelling him to finish waiting. He took a moment to compose himself and find the spirits again, but he could see by their moans and frantic actions that they, too, experienced pains and bad memories here. More Demons began appearing around them, especially Oni, sniffing their feet to make sure they were dead, and hoping to find a living being to consume. Kano was reminded of Drahmin and Moloch while observing them and noted that, interestingly enough, small Oni were often paired with large ones, leading them around and telling them what to do. Considering Drahmin was smarter than Moloch and guided him, perhaps this was a common arrangement here. Two Oni approached Kano, but upon giving him a closer look, hissed and leapt over him, attacking something Kano could not see. He thought it somewhat amusing to see these two monsters fighting with absolutely nothing, but whatever this invisible creature was, it threw the smaller Oni into a river of hot mercury, then broke the leg of the larger and threw it into a skeleton pillar covered in protruding, metal spikes, impaling it head-first. The smaller Oni flailed in the mercury as it burned and screamed, but eventually was silenced by the waves and went under. The larger Oni did not move and its limbs dangled as bony hands began stripping it of its skin, the bones craving its blood to remind them of what they once had. Eventually the creatures would regenerate like Scorpion, but that was not Kano's concern; he wanted to know what it was they fought that was so close to him.

He felt something smack him in the head, sending him spiraling into a pillar. With quick thinking, he cannonballed to the side of it, only slightly grazed by a spike on his left arm. He stood up and saw nothing, but heard growling and the beating of hooves on the hard ground. Kano dodged in a random direction, hoping to evade his invisible foe, but he felt something wrap around his neck and lift him in the air. He struggled to escape, but whatever it was that held him would not let go. The creature breathed hard, and repeatedly and violently slammed him against the ground. It eventually threw Kano like a ragdoll into the air as a red glow appeared and illuminated the Demon's silhouette. Before he could make out its shape, the glow became large, red, spherical projectiles that hit Kano and sent him back to the ashy shore.

He laid on the ground for a few moments, trying to figure out what to do about this Demon. As a wave of magma neared Kano from one side, and the beat of hooves from the other, an idea came to him and he grabbed a handful of ash. He stood up and shouted, "come on you little boony bastard! I'm right here!"

An angry roar replied, indicating the Demon's proximity to Kano. When the time was right, he threw the ashes into the air in front of him, and ran to the side to avoid the oncoming behemoth. The Demon coughed and struggled to roar as the ash splashed into its eyes and mouth, and frantically tried to remove all traces of it. Kano ran as fast as he could away from the creature, hoping the magma would at least cripple it before the Demon could regain its sight.

Kano stopped and turned to see the wave come in, but instead of sweeping up the creature, the magma hit a red energy barrier that protected the Demon. Its blackened face was now clearly visible thanks to the ash, and as it scowled at Kano, it vanished into thin air. Seconds later, Kano heard heavy breathing behind him. He slowly turned and saw the Demon's visibly hairy chest, and felt its breath on his face. He looked up and recognized Motaro with ease, as the Centaurian's face was not as drastically changed as his body was from his time in the realm; his hatred for Kano had not changed at all. Kano felt a sharp stab in his stomach, and looked to see one of Motaro's new tails was scorpion-like, and just pierced his torso.

Motaro lifted him into the air and laughed, and took a long look at Kano's cut-up, rotting face. Kano studied this Demon Motaro and noted his arms were now mantis-like, his hands replaced by giant, barbed sickles, his single tail now multiple, one scorpion-like, one mace-like and one as his original. "Why in the world did I even bother bringing you to Kahn's prison, Kano? I should have stomped you into the ground myself after finding you beaten and broken like the failure you are! Maybe I could have taken that eye of yours as a trophy!"

Kano could barely understand Motaro's words, as Motaro's thick, deep voice was not meant for speaking English. Motaro continued, this time in a Centaurian language, and his original tail snaked up in front of Kano's face and felt the rotted eye. The tip glowed red and pressed against his eye, spilling puss and blood down Kano's face. It sizzled and burned, but Kano was paralyzed with what he guessed was venom from Motaro's sting, and could not scream.

"If it wasn't for the Scrivener taking an interest in you and my lord Baphomet a disinterest, you would be my equal down here... But you were never destined for greatness at this level." Motaro chuckled as he trotted towards the line of spirits and dragged Kano on the ground, still impaled onto his tail. "You'll be happy to know you've been written to the head of the line, and you'll be in great shape during your trial as they break you!" Motaro reared up, roared a terrifying howl and sped towards a fiery pit. Kano dangled and skidded on the hot ground, and felt the cuts, burns, and bruises all over his body again, the voices he had heard earlier laughing at the spectacle and shouting his name. The cackles and laughs deafened his ears as he felt Motaro jump over the pit and let him fall. Kano stared as he descended into the chasm, seeing the faces of every person he had been responsible for the death of on the way to the ground. He saw many faces stand out on the walls laughing at him, including Red Dragon men, Special Forces agents, fellow criminals who got in his way, Kombatants he faced in the Mortal Kombat tournament, soldiers in the Edenian and Shokan armies, and even some Black Dragon members. Why would they be cheering his receiving punishment? Where was he going and who would he meet in this next level of Hell?


	3. A Fate Worse than Death

Through the Eye of the Tortured

Chapter 3: A Fate Worse than Death

Kano continued to fall down the chasm, the intense fire blazing all around him. With his quickening descent, he was terrified by the horrors he observed as he saw former allies from the Black Dragon clan looking as hideous and demented as the monstrosities in the Netherealm. They pointed and laughed at him, shouting his name, threatening to perform disgusting acts to his immortal soul, and hoping that the judges would keep him from becoming a Demon for a long time. These creatures could not be real though; Kano remembered the perversions of his childhood enemies taunting him earlier, and refused to believe that his friends could be this cruel to him. Why would they be, to their trusted leader?

"Because you're a traitor."

Kano knew that voice. It scared him. A lot. It was a friend, but this was a friend he knew was dead, and did not belong in Hell. The world grew brighter and brighter around him, and the next thing he knew, Kano was embathed in white light, and landed softly on fresh, dew-covered grass, surrounded by a blanket of cool fog. He was now clothed in a white t-shirt and shorts, and the wounds he sustained since his death had all healed. He was no longer covered in the laser burns from his death, and miraculously, his rotted eye was now healthy and allowed him to see. The fog slowly cleared away, gently pushed along by a breeze, with a harmonious chorus played in the background. Kano felt a draft from above and looked up to see a figure descending towards him; on six white, angelic wings, and sporting a magnificent white suit with a black shirt and white tie, his former friend and rival Daniel Blade touched down and smiled.

"It's good to see you again, Kano," Daniel said, brushing off his suit with a black handkerchief and fixing the tie around his neck, his slick, brown, gelled hair shining in the brillant light. Kano could hardly believe his eyes. Was this a dream? Another hallucination brought on by the Netherealm? "Even in death, you're the centre of attention, Kano, coming out either as a lucky jackass, or just a jackass. I really gotta know, how the fuck did you get high-ranking Demons on your case?"

"Daniel, we both know that ever since I was born, I was set to go down a bad path and fail at every turn. Even when I turned to you for a way out, look what happened."

"You weren't looking for a way out, you were trying to get rid of two birds with one stone, and you'd have gotten back into the game anyway, because that's how you are. All you wound up doing was piss off my sister and not make it to our meeting until after she found my beaten corpse."

"I didn't realize how deep it had gotten with the Red Dragon infiltrating your Special Forces! And I told you specifically to get there alone and not tell anyone!"

"Yeah, you're right on that. I didn't know Hsu Hao was a dirty scumbag. He did it good too, made it look like an ambush from some thugs, even scrapped himself up to make it more believible. The best part was the laser burns he put into me himself - small enough to look like that robo-eye of yours."

Kano smiled. He was glad that at least Daniel knew he didn't set him up. Daniel Blade had pursued Kano and the Black Dragon for years when they had become more known in North America, and with their many encounters, a bizarre rivalry and respect for one another formed. This was before Kano became a proficient killer, when they were both in their late-twenties and before Sonya became lieutenant of the Special Forces. The Black Dragon clan had developed a reputation for being spectacular thieves, but Kano learned that the centuries old Red Dragon clan was not only unknown beyond large crime circles in Asia, but also remained hidden because the clan found ways to pin their crimes onto other organisations, in particular, the Black Dragon.

Eventually, Kano learned that the Red Dragon had infiltrated the Special Forces, and decided that it was time to make the Special Forces know who the real threat was before more Black Dragon members were captured. Kano contacted Daniel to let him know there were criminal spies in his team and the two worked out a deal. It was a win-win situation for Kano; the two would meet and Kano would give Daniel Blade names and information about key Red Dragon operatives who had enrolled in the army, navy, FBI and Special Forces. The Special Force's energy would be concentrated on the Red Dragon, revealing the clan to the American government as a threat to national security and resulting in the intense pursuit of several high- and middle-class members around the world, hindering the clan's ability from rising any further in power, and possibly eradicating the ancient organisation once and for all.

With all this, several Black Dragon members would have to be exonerated for crimes they did not commit, putting them back on the street. Kano himself would receive protection and disappear, using his ill-gotten gains to lead an easy life for the rest of his days. It was a simple, but well-thought plan... That is, until Daniel let Sonya know that he would be meeting Kano for information, never mentioning what the information was, thus never mentioning the Red Dragon clan. She insisted that Hsu Hao go with him in case Kano was lying, and from there, Hsu Hao informed Mavado, who ambushed Kano before he could meet Daniel, preventing the Special Forces from learning the truth.

When Kano did arrive, he was already too late, and Sonya and Hsu Hao attacked him. Though it was never proven that Kano killed her brother Daniel, Kano's mechanical eye was enough to convince Sonya. He forever lost the trust of the Blade family and was branded a priority criminal, his image spread in every city. Overnight, he became one of the most wanted men in the United States, and from then on, Kano continued down the path of a cunning and crafty murderer, and elevated the fears everyone had of the Black Dragon.

"So what're you here for," Kano asked, "giving me a pat on the back and telling me I tried my best and better luck next time?"

"I'm here because it was written that we'd see each other one more time before it ended for you," he sighed. Daniel looked at the ground and frowned, "there won't be a next time, Kano. Nothing short of a resurrection will allow you to try again, and if my being here, straight from the Heavens, giving you a glimpse of what you'll be missing out on, is any indication of what's to come, there is no hope. Nobody wants you back in the living realms."

Kano stared in disbelief and pondered what he just heard. No hope for freedom? All his hard work and suffering for nothing useful? Just eternal torture? He looked behind Daniel and saw his step-parents, both living happily in a retirement home in Melbourne. Another image materialized, this time of Kabal, looking as handsome and rugged as ever, having a good laugh while drinking with Stryker and Nightwolf. He saw images of his other friends and old flames from his life before joining the Black Dragon, and the happiness they expressed was compounded with the thought that every single one of these people were happy without Kano in their lives. Another horrible thought dawned on Kano; he did not see any Black Dragon members except for Kabal... All this time, he thought Kabal had been killed by Mavado, but it was much worse than that. He painfully realized that he saw so many Black Dragon faces on his way down the chasm because they were all dead. They were not illusions, but the tortured souls of his comrades. He now understood the feeling of disappointment he heard from the voices, and why they felt he was responsible for their deaths... They blamed him for their damnation.

Seeing Daniel lament with the heavy burden of breaking Kano's spirit and hope was more than enough to push Kano over the edge... He fell to his knees and cried. Daniel comforted him as best as he could, but Daniel was not there for that. His job was done, and soon, once again, he would be written out of Kano's life.

It was Daniel's time to go and as he flew into the air, Kano, after sobbing for so long, cried out, "I could've been so much more, Danny-boy... I've been on the wrong path since I was a youngster. The Gods didn't care about my fate, they just put me there without even givin' me my real mum an' dad. I had no chance! Everyone brought me down here, everyone! All the choices I made were wrong to the Gods and Demons, but what was I supposed to do? I did what I could to get the best life had to offer, to be come the biggest and best thing out there, and all I got for it is nothing. Nothing!"

"Kano, there have been hundreds of people who stood up to the same odds you did who made different choices," shouted Daniel, "the best for yourself and your Black Dragon clan led to the worst for others. It's time to see your Judges, Kano. Be strong, and defend yourself!"

As Daniel flew high into the air, Kano heard shrieking and felt intense heat. A burst of flames blinded Kano momentarily, and when the haze cleared, he was no longer on the grassy field. He was back in the Netherealm, in a brightly-lit cavern adorned with golden skulls and decorative torches. The walls were almost perfectly smooth, and the room was cooler than any other location in the realm. He would have deemed the room almost comforting had he not felt a drop of blood splash onto his forehead. He looked above his head and noticed a gruesome touch of Netherealm decor; a woman, wearing a pink sports-bra and jogging pants hanging from the ceiling by a chain wrapped around her neck. She was covered in thin, bloody cuts, her motionless body dangling back and forth, dripping blood onto the floor in a steady rhythm. It was time for his judgement.


	4. Judgement Day

Through the Eye of the Tortured Chapter 4: Judgement Day

Kano backed away from the bleeding, dangling corpse, studying its moist, red face and struggling to recognise this young woman. Her pink sports bra and jogging pants were drenched in her blood, dripping the red fluid with every passing moment, and Kano noticed that she had two long, black sheaths on her back. When his eyes landed on hers, white and dull, she blinked and stared back. She coughed a little, but spoke clearly despite her position. "Hey there, big boy," she said, her voice cutting through Kano like sword against his skin. "Been a while since I've seen that handsome mug of yours. How're you doin' oh fearless leader?"

Kano stared at her in awe and fear. It was Tasia, a member of the Black Dragon he had not seen since before he left to participate in the Mortal Kombat Tournament. Was she to be judged alongside him, or was she hung there because she already received judgement? "Holy crap, Tasia! I'm so sorry to see you down here. I'm gonna get you out-"

"You will do no such thing, you cycloptic wretch!" A large voice boomed, making the room shake. Kano remembered this eloquent, commanding voice now. He turned around to see the muscular Tremor, still in his distinctive tan, ninja garb, holding a pillar of metal in place, under horrible strain to remain standing. "Even if you tried, you could not free us of our labours and punishments, traitor, for you helped placed us within them!"

Kano grew angry at hearing this. "I was trapped in Outworld after that stupid tournament! I couldn't come back! If I could've, I would've!"

"Trapped," questioned a higher-pitched voice coming from below Kano, "yeah, I bet all the generals in magical armies say that, right ol' pal?" Kano looked at his feet, and saw a set of lips protruding from the ground. Without needing to see his head, Kano saw a touch of humour in No Face's predicament.

"I wanted to bring you guys in on the score, but only when the time was right! I was cozyin' up to the emperor, hopin' he'd make a portal for you guys to join me in Outworld and have the Black Dragon become his new enforcers on Earth! I swear on the head of everyone I ever cared about!"

All three laughed at hearing this. Tasia writhed in her noose, and it slowly came undone. "On the head of everyone? Thank God that's just your head then! At least after we finish judging you, we can use it for bowling!"

"You're the Judges?"

"No, Kano, we're YOUR judges," replied Tasia with a smirk, holding onto the chain and swinging playfully in the air, "who else could determine your worth to the Netherealm better than your old friends and followers, hm?"

She had a good point, though Kano did not like the position he was in with their remarks and insults. Widely known as a crafty manipulator among his peers, Kano knew that he could not spin any tale that they could not pick apart. The only thing he could do now to possibly win them over was to be honest and tell them the truth; he had nothing more to gain from lying. "I cared about you all, especially you three, Jarek and Kabal! I practically lost it when I fought Mavado because I thought he killed Kabal! I was happy to see he's now hanging out with the Village People or whatever, but in any case, I'd have fought just as hard and kept on fighting and throttling anyone in my way if it had been any of you!"

Kano backed away from Tasia, but realised he was nearing Tremor, who summoned boulders to come from the ground to hold the pillar. Tremor's garbs hardened and cracked with every step he took towards Kano. "Too little, too late, you pompous pirate. We hardly merited a thought once you made it onto that decrepit barge. You abandoned us in exchange for the riches you thought would come from entering the tournament!"

"I entered the tournament for the sake of the Black Dragon! It was a high risk with a higher reward! With all the gold we would've ransacked from Shang's palace, we'd have been the richest and most powerful organisation on Earth! You know that's why I joined to begin with!"

The ground shifted as No Face's hands clawed out of the soil, his lips still moving in the dirt. "Pfft, all you did was leave us without a leader to follow! We tried to get stuff done, but when you and Sonya Bitch disappeared, Major Jackass Briggs put out a huge search for every Black Dragon out there for more information about where you or Sonya could be." No Face's head emerged from the ground, completely different from the scarred looks he used to have. He no longer had eyes or ears, and his face and head were smoothed out with only a sharp-toothed grin. "When Earth was taken over by that emperor guy you were blowing, most of us died and came back when it was over. Us three, though, wound up fighting horsemen and retarded Swiss army knives until it all cleared up."

"Oh yeah, the blade guys, I remember them... They were hot," Tasia mused, as she landed onto the ground. Several needles grew from the cuts on her face and body, spilling more of her blood onto the floor.

"In any case," interrupted Tremor, who grew larger and appeared more rock-like in appearance, "they, alongside the centaurs, used automatic weapons and other human-made weapons when fighting us. None of us thought this was significant-"

"Until we learned, after we all died of course, that you, el capitano, taught them how to use guns, grenades, lasers, and rocket launchers," interrupted No Face, fully out of the ground, revealing a polished, pale, almost plastic body, with long, slender limbs, and chain-mail covering his chest and legs. "You helped a bunch of alien freaks try to take over Earth. WE were supposed to take over, or did you decide that you could have it all for yourself after Shao Kahn made you his queen? Did you get a pretty, purple dress too?"

"They were gonna kill me! If I didn't help them, where do you think I'd have wound up? Down freakin' here!"

"You're here anyway, what's changed?" Asked Tasia, unsheathing her large katana blades from her back. "The fact you were alive the longest did nothing. Don't play dumb, you knew we were all going to Hell anyway. That's the choice we all made being criminals and thieves - nobody stood in our way to get what we wanted, and whoever did, died. What did you expect when you died, a coronation? A pat on the back?"

"He most likely anticipated free passage into the Elysian Fields, enjoying various comfort amongst the heroes Achilles and Agamemnon, drinking the nectar of the Gods, conversing with Homer and Ovid. Oh well, welcome to Tartarus, fool!" bellowed Tremor, chuckling at his obscure references alone.

"I... I," stammered Kano, "I expected to be happy, safe and avoid this garbage. I never wanted to die."

"Well, surprise! You did!" screamed No Face, rather gleefully, "I liked the way you died too, short, sweet, to the point, but emotionally painful with Springy up there using around Kabal's swords! Those sorcerers know a good kill, eh? If only the three of us were as lucky..." As he said this, fire surrounded No Face's body, brightening the room. "I was captured by Hsu Hao and a few other Red Dragons and buried alive. The damn Mongol broke my legs, tied my hands, doused my clothes with maple syrup, covered me with some random dirt, and sealed the box... I heard them shovelling and laughing for so long, and I couldn't get out... I thought the whole syrup thing was a joke about being Canadian, but I felt horrible itching and stinging the whole time, and I realised the dirt they threw on me was filled with fire ants... Those fuckers took their sweet time with the whole stinging and eating bit, and losing the air wasn't a thrill either... Oh I can't wait to see Hsu Hao down here with that dorky hat of his!"

Tremor roared at all of them, the room quaking with his every movement. He had grown considerably now, and towered over them. "My death was the most tragic," he began, "as I was prevented from using my gifts against my adversaries. I was on a flight towards Cuba to establish a new chapter of the Black Dragon, deeply engrossed in my re-reading of the Odyssey, when I felt a prick in my neck. A terrible stiffness set in, but I had enough time to see the person behind me. I turned around and a young woman waved at me. She had a tattoo of a red dragon on her forearm... The devastating part? I was inexplicably paralysed for days, my epidermis hardening from some unknown ailment that medical doctors could not explain. When my internal organs finally hardened, I could no longer be kept alive. In all, it took a good week or more before I finally died. A tragic end, not due to pain, but with my inability to die in battle. Denied my only desired death..."

"Oh boohoo, Mr. Mountain, we all suffered differently," scoffed Tasia, removing the hilts of her swords and putting the blades directly into her wrists, mimicking Tarkata, "I got fucking lynched by a pack of Red Dragons who thought it'd be funny to watch me squirm. I was light and had a good, strong neck, so I held out for a lot longer than they thought I would, but they got bored and decided to give me paper-cuts until I passed out from either blood or air loss. I think I got up to 500 before I passed out... Not fun, Kano, not fun." All three, in their pure Demon forms now, moved towards Kano, backing him against a wall.

Kano took a deep breath and composed himself. "Even if I was there to help you when Outworld invaded Earth," he began, "what would it have changed anyway? I didn't put you guys to death, you made your own choices, and I made mine. The punishments you got in life and death have nothing to do with me, nor how you died. How much could I have changed if I didn't serve Kahn and stayed on Earth?"

All three Demons looked stunned at hearing this. A tear rolled down Tasia's cheek and spread when it came across the cuts and pins on her face. She put a katana to Kano's throat and screamed long and hard before finally saying something. "You could have given us hope, Kano. We put our faith into your hands and lost a lot of good people to get you the information you needed on Shang Tsung's tournament, and you just disappeared. We thought you died, that you fought against the monsters like we did and died... We gave you the highest honours at your funeral! We called you the goddamn bravest of us! Finding out you helped the fuckin' monsters made all our trouble look like worthless shit! You abandoned us and spat in our faces!"

"In short," No Face said, "we helped you get into Outworld, and thought you died a hero, but instead, you just turned tricks there and traded us in for a bunch of crazy alien monsters. As far as we're concerned, you betrayed us."

"We could have perished the day the Earth almost combined with Outworld, Kano," began the monolithic Tremor, "you KNEW Earth would become a massive target and could have warned us! You could have easily stayed on Earth when the realms separated, you could have betrayed the emperor while in his servitude and returned to us! You could have let yourself be captured by the Special Forces, and any of us would have set you free from imprisonment, especially once Shao Kahn stole all of Earth's souls."

"It was better to be the right hand of the Devil than in his path," replied Kano. "Are you all seriously gonna say that not a single one of you would've done what I did to stay alive?"

All three Black Dragon Demons looked at one another for an appropriate answer, and laughed. Tasia broke the laughter and spoke sternly, despite the smile on her face. "It's more than that, Kano. You made a deal with the wrong Devils, because right now, you're dealing with us, for abandoning us, and betraying your home. Us three, Kabal, Jarek, and all your other favourites in the group, knew we wanted Earth, and we were gonna fight for it until the bitter end. You chose to help the enemy to save your own skin. You didn't even try to wreck them from the inside, you seriously didn't care about anyone other than yourself."

Every word cut into Kano, and as Tremor waved his gigantic hand, Kano found his arms bound to the shifting stone wall behind him.

"The Netherealm would be delighted to have you as a resident, Kano," began Tremor, "but unlike the three of us, who know the value of loyalty, you will not be enjoying your stay."

"For your constant flip-flopping," said the fiery No Face, "we don't think you can be trusted to serve the Netherealm, or Lord Baphomet. Heck, you'd probably release Shinnok if you had the chance, and nobody wants that! So, with all that in mind, you will only suffer instead of serve without possibility of ascension into the Demon ranks until, let's say, the end of the Netherealm itself. Agreed, lady and gentlemonster?"

Tasia and Tremor nodded in acknowledgement. "Then your judgement has been approved! Welcome to Hell! Damn, that feels great to say! Let's celebrate by kicking the shit out of Kano!" No Face's flames grew to a tremendous size but before he could rain fire on Kano, Kano broke free of his bindings and cannonballed into Tremor's stone face, sending the titan stumbling backwards. Now judged, Kano could finally fight back, and he needed to do everything in his power to escape these three.

Tasia jumped at the airborne Kano with incredible speed and slashed at his arm. Kano was cut badly, but he grabbed her by the throat, ignoring the needles stabbing his palm, and squeezed hard enough to stun and kick her to the ground. He landed a few feet away, but was quickly met with the flames of No Face engulfing him. As his clothing burned, Kano tore it off and threw his garments at No Face, temporarily covering him and giving Kano the opportunity to deal a good punch in the head, a kick in the stomach, and then throw him to the ground. He ran as fast as he could, but his path was blocked by the sudden stomp of Tremor's leg, still as stealthy as ever despite his enormous size. As Kano tried to dodge away, he was greeted with a punt from the giant warrior, sending him into a spiked pillar. Before he hit it, Tasia intercepted Kano and held him tightly from behind, her blades cutting at his chest and the pins from her body stabbing Kano over and over as the two spun in the air, barrelling back to Tremor. When Tasia let him go, Tremor swatted Kano to the ground and stepped onto his legs, reducing them to a red smear.

Kano screamed in pain and tried backing away, grabbing wildly behind himself to crawl, but a quick slash from Tasia sliced through his elbows like butter. No Face burned away at Kano's flesh and cauterised his wounds. "That'll keep you from regenerating for a while," he said while lowering his body's flames and smirking. "Tasia, get his head, will ya? It'll be easier to gouge out his eyes when he has no neck to squirm with."

"I hunger for his torso!" Boomed Tremor, placing his hand over Kano's body to scrape it off the ground, "I will bite it off cleanly and you may play with his decapitated -"

Before he could finish, a red beam cut through his gigantic forearm, breaking it and making Tremor roar in anger. The area shook and crumbled with his ferocity, but he was struck in the head by what appeared to be a medium-sized Oni, cannonballing into Tremor like Kano.

Still pinned under Tremor's severed arm, Kano could only watch as the Oni was engulfed in flames by No Face and fell to the floor, only for the shock wave of its fall to knock No Face into the air. The Oni threw a triple-blade at him, sending No Face further away, bleeding when he hit the ground.

Tasia stealthily appeared behind the Oni and plunged her blades into the beast's back. Her battle-cry launched thousands of pins from her mouth into the beast, making it howl in pain. It kept its footing and quickly cannonballed again, hitting the dazed No Face and slamming Tasia into Tremor's chest. The force of the blow sent Tremor to the ground, making it quake and causing the ceiling to collapse onto his body.

The Oni pushed the katana blades out of his body, leaving the limp Tasia onto the floor next to the rubble. It hobbled over to Kano and launched an eye beam attack that obliterated Tremor's severed arm. Kano panicked. Who was this creature? How did it find him down here? Why did it come all this way just for Kano?

As the Oni was about to pick him up, Tasia kicked its head and No Face kicked the back of its knees to put it to the ground without having it fall to its back again. A sudden eruption of a stalagmite smashed into the Oni's face and knocked it onto it's knees. No Face, fully ignited, pushed his hands against the Oni's back, keeping it pinned between him and the stalagmite, and prepared to burn it alive. "Hey there handsome," smiled Tasia, placing both her blades against the creature's neck, "nice of you to join us, but if you wanted in on torturing Kano, you should've made a request."

"You're free to bowl with us later though," laughed No Face, reducing the flames on his body but keeping his hands lit as a warning, "but I'm on Tasia's team! Tremor throws the heads too hard, no technique and only a mess!"

"Speaking of mess," grumbled Tremor as he emerged from the rubble, his wounds healed thanks to absorbing the massive stones, "why do you come to us with such hostility? If I recall correctly, none of us have ever wronged one another, in life or death."

"I want Kano," grunted the Oni, "it's that simple." Kano was in too much pain to speak. These Demons, his former allies in life, spoke about him as if he was just an inferior prop. He felt like a useless piece of garbage, only valuable because they needed something to take their hatred and rage.

"Humph, if you wanted him, all you had to do was ask..." Tasia cooed into the Oni's ear as she carefully felt its face and chest, "but we need something in return, don't we, boys?"

As Tremor and No Face nodded, the Oni held out its hand and created a hat out of thin air, one that looked familiar to all. No Face smiled, "that's Hsu Hao's dorky little chauffeur's hat, eh?"

"That's probably the biggest word I've ever heard you use, No Face," laughed the Oni, "but yeah, that's Hsu Hao's hat, not his real one though. You know why I'm showing it to you guys?"

Kano's eyes widened. "He's dead, isn't he?"

The Oni stared at Kano, it's eyes flickering black and white, and it spoke to him in a condescending tone. "You still have a working brain, very good. Anyway, you're right, and I'm supposed to judge him... Unless some Black Dragon members want to deal with the Red Dragon for me?"

Kano was confused now. The more he looked at the Oni, the more familiar it, or rather, he appeared.

"Hsu Hao can be ours just as easily as Kano, all we need to do is smash you to bits and -"

"Tremor, think about it for just a minute now," the Oni interrupted. "You forget that the Red Dragon is directly responsible for your deaths, right? Kano, yeah, he abandoned you, but Hsu Hao's a direct link for what stood in your way when you were all alive. You can take as much time as you want questioning, torturing, and judging him."

"Don't you start with the whole, 'Hsu Hao should be the one receiving our torment' shit," replied No Face with a series of comically posh poses to mock the monster, "our ruling stands as is, and we want a piece of Kano, particularly his head!"

"I'm not defending Kano, I'm saying why go for the small fry when you can have the big fish? Besides, when's the next Red Dragon going to fall out of the sky?"

The Oni made a very valid point. The three Demons looked at each other, and eventually No Face shouted as he scaled Tremor's body like a spider, "well buddy, looks like you gotta deal! Where can we find him?"

"He's on the third level, in the Pride Section next to Shinnok's old prisons! Go nuts!"

"Jarek, buddy, pal, nuts is my middle name!" No Face engulfed himself in flames atop Tremor's shoulder and roared, "Let's get this party started!"

"I hope I can carve out his metal heart thing," shouted Tasia, jumping onto Tremor's other shoulder.

"Might I suggest we simply bind the Mongoloid against my chest and I run through the Hephaestus Mountains?" Tremor proposed, "the Harpies will feast on his insides while giving me a much-needed chiselling," He made a pillar beneath his body and elevated the three to the surface levels. The three Demons' laughter echoed through the tunnels, and Jarek stared at his prize, growling with satisfaction, and slowly approaching his former leader. His eyes flickered black and white, and he took some time to observe and remember the moment in the sweet silence. Kano, badly burned and paralysed with fear, stared at his former pupil, his eyes wide open, and his mind racing. What tortures did Jarek have prepared for Kano?


	5. It all Amounts to Nothing

Through the Eye of the Tortured

Chapter 5: It all Amounts to Nothing

Kano tried to read the expression on Jarek's face, but it was no longer human enough to show what Jarek really felt. Kano was badly burned and limbless after the horrible battle with his former allies, and with his wounds cauterised, it would be a long time before his arms and legs would regenerate. Since their judgment declared he would only become a Demon when the Netherealm ended, he was essentially barred from ever becoming one, and he was completely at Jarek's mercy. He now had a proper look at this new Jarek standing before him. He was physically larger, with broader shoulders and longer arms than he used to have. His muscles were bulging from his body, his veins pulsing under his skin. His hair was shaved down to his scalp, and the beard on his chin was tied into a short braid that reached his chest. His body was covered in a variety of scars and scrapes, ranging from small bite marks to large patches of healed skin. His brown pants had signs of dirt and wear, but were overall in good shape, and his black, leather belt looked almost new. It was somewhat unusual to see Jarek so well-kempt, but Kano hoped it was a sign of some kind of sanity. The most notable change was Jarek's eyes, which flickered black and white, the colours shifting and melting together. Jarek growled and approached Kano, maintaining his emotionless gaze.

"Why'd you save me, Jarek?" Kano asked, unable to move, and worried about what would come next. "What do you have planned for me, eh? Want to eat up my body parts? Rip me to shreds until I can't regenerate for a hundred years?"

Jarek's emotionless expression evaporated with a sudden smile, and he laughed maniacally. His eyes turned solid black, and his laugh erupted into a hateful taunt. He got onto his knees, and slammed his fists into the ground, pounding at the hard rock and shouting, "I don't belong here, I don't belong here, I don't belong here, I'm just the toughest bastard who can do this!" He lifted his hands, now covered in bloody scrapes, and licked at them hungrily, as if the blood was liquid candy. His eyes were now solid white, and the wounds he sustained in his fight against No Face, Tasia, and Tremor all healed. Even the scrapes disappeared from his knuckles. He took a moment to compose himself, got up, hobbled to Kano, and threw the mutilated criminal onto his shoulder. He broke out into a sprint and ran down many long, dark, cavernous corridors.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kano asked, "where're you taking me?"

"I have to manipulate the Netherealm, control it, not let it control me, I have the power, this is the experiment, I am the experiment, can I balance light and dark, am I really here? Where are the lights? Where is the light coming from? You see? I told you I'd find him! I'm ready!"

Jarek was lost in his thoughts, ignoring the struggling being he carried. Kano was nervous. Jarek was not calm like the others and seemed more insane than Sheeva. How long had he been dead for?

"I'll take you to someplace safe, don't worry Kano. You'll be okay, everything'll be just... Ugh, what is the word people say to make you feel safe even if you think they're lying? It's kind of a patronizing word."

"Umm, fine?"

"That's it! You'll be fine! Be happy!" Jarek grinned with his chipped teeth, and his eyes fluctuated between black and white as he roared with laughter. "I had a choice, before coming here, was it smart, what I did? All the pretty lights! When will I know?" Needless to say, Kano was not reassured by Jarek's ramblings.

When they finally reached their destination, Kano looked at what appeared to be Jarek's lair, a dark, unusually dank cave, barely lit by torches and smelling of dead fish. Jarek placed Kano onto a rug made of what appeared to be deer skin. Jarek punched a nearby wall with his fist, drawing more blood from the wound this time. He lapped it up happily, and his eyes glowed a brilliant white in the darkness. He took a deep breath, stood up, and sighed as the torch lights grew brighter, revealing the cave to be a much nicer abode than Kano expected. Drapes of silk adorned the walls and healthy, green vegetable plants grew at the very end of the room, thriving despite the lack of natural light. Compared to the rest of the Netherrealm, this cave was paradise. "Make yourself at home, asshole."

"Why do keep punching things like that and licking the blood? What happened to you, Jarek?"

Jarek dunked his head into what appeared to be a stone basin of water in the cave wall, roaring with delight as he let the cool liquid drip onto his body. He splashed it onto his back and chest and turned to Kano. "I'd offer you some water, but you don't deserve it. It's nice, cool, and so refreshing tonight... Nobody around here drinks water anymore, the poor bastards, they just get used to blood. Not me though, not anymore. Only the good stuff for me down here. The unlucky ones drink the lava, ha, ha, hah... And the punching things bit? The pain keeps me civil, my blood keeps me sane... At least for a little while. It's not working like it used to, but thankfully, I don't need to do it as often as I used to either, only when I feel I'm going too crazy, getting too pumped up. I have to make sure I don't lose myself, but it's getting easier to stay focused... We all aren't as lucky as Drahmin to get special masks and things. I don't know how he and Moloch found it, but whatever...

"As for what happened to me? It's a long story, and nobody's asked me that in a while, so I'll share a bit... After Shao Kahn's invasion failed, the Black Dragon was torn apart. A lot of us wound up captured after the dust settled, and we weren't organized like we used to be, so we split up all the factions to cover more ground and bring some new members. At this point, most of us were hunted down like dogs by Sonya and Jax, and I lost communication with the majority of the high-ranking members. I remember when Sonya caught up to me, she mentioned I was the last one... If they weren't dead, they were in prison, but the Black Dragon basically died a long time ago, arguably, when you disappeared from the face of the Earth.

"Anyway, after Sonya missed catching me in Shanghai, I drove south to hopefully lose her and any agents she might've been with, but I was ambushed by Jax and a few of his new friends in the OIA. They didn't have time to take me to a proper prison, so I was with them in chains when they started making portals and things to find Sonya. They didn't have enough info about me on their files, aside from knowing I learned some stuff from you. They didn't expect me to have eye lasers too, so I cut myself loose, pounded the ground to pop 'em all up, and ran straight into the portal before their laser portal thing shut off. Only Jax was able to follow up behind me before the portal closed, and so we were both stuck in this realm called Edenia. There was a war going on over there, a war between Heaven and Hell, tearing the sky and ground apart. It was really fucked up, and it made everything that I went through during that whole Earth invasion look like nothing...

"Wait a minute, I can't tell you this stuff, you're a fucking traitor! You'd probably turn me out faster than a Tokyo pimp would his ladyboy to save your own ass!"

"Jarek, look at me, I'm reduced to stumps, all my connections are gone, all my powers are gone right now, I'm in pain, broken and useless. Throw me a fucking bone here already, and tell me what is going on!"

"I don't care about your problems, I have my own! Everyone in this realm is my enemy, and I've done my good deed! That's why I saved a worthless piece of shit like you, because it reminds me of what I was and wanted to become before I knew better! You are now beneath me in worth, Kano, because my potential's finally being tapped, and I'm not going to blow my cover just to make you comfortable. I can't trust anyone down here, especially you, because I have every reason to believe you would sell me out, and I can't have that. If people really knew why I was down here, everyone would want me dead!"

"Why, you damned asshole? Tell me! If you rescued me to prove a fucking point to yourself, you did it, now I want to know what the heck happened to you! We were friends, for Christ's sake, I wasn't lying when I said I cared about you guys, and that has to count for something, even for you!"

Jarek took a long look at Kano, and sighed. He took pity on his former friend, and waved his hand. His body changed from a scarred, bulky Oni into a regular human, his face still somewhat scornful, but his figure as it was the last time Kano and Jarek saw one another. "I'm not dead, Kano. I was sent here, alive, and I've been down here for years. I'm still alive, and still human, which means that I can wind up on the menu anytime if I don't control what they see and smell."

Kano was stunned. The others suffered for long enough to become Demons, but Jarek had truly struggled. He was a real prisoner in Hell, fighting to survive and retain his sanity. While Kano experienced the good life in Outworld as a general serving a tyrant, Jarek was hunted down by bloodthirsty monsters. He still had to eat, sleep, and hide from everyone, and keep as low a profile as possible. Kano felt sorry for his old friend, but then realized that Jarek had new powers. How was he able to manipulate what the Oni saw and smelt? How could he change his form like that?

"How come you're down here then? And how are you able to change into an Oni? There's no way you can still be human and do all that."

"I have to be honest though, Kano," Jarek said, creating a grilled chicken leg from nothing and ignoring Kano's question, "now that I have super powers and stuff, it's not so bad being down here. If I hadn't met you guys in the Black Dragon, maybe things wouldn't have turned out like this for me. Maybe I'd be a little happier, a lot safer, and maybe I would have never gone to Hell, but now that I can look back on it all, with everything that has happened, I have to say that I have no regrets. If it was my time, I'd say I'm ready to die a happy man, going to either Heaven or staying here. You turned your back on me, on all your friends in life, but I've grown beyond that. Rescuing you just proved that there's hope for me, and that says a lot, all things considered.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I still hate you for what you did, for abandoning the Black Dragon clan and joining the enemies of Earth. I hate you with all my heart and soul... But I forgive you. I wouldn't be where I am today without you, and I wouldn't have been given the awesome opportunity I got all those years back after Shinnok was beaten. Thank you, Kano, for being such a strong influence on me, and helping me realize that I didn't want to become a carbon copy of you."

Kano was surprised to hear Jarek say all that. He did not know if he should feel insulted or happy with Jarek's words, but the fact Jarek forgave him made all the difference in the world. If Jarek could be in the bowels of Hell and still see the bright side of life, maybe Kano could learn something from his former ally. Maybe there was still hope for him, despite being dead... "Thanks, mate, I really appreciate that, especially with the kind of day I had so far... So how do you do it? How is it that you can change yourself like that, make food, and just plain survive down here with all this comfort?"

"Demons and Angels can only manipulate so much of the essence the Netherealm and the Heavens have, but the living, oh boy, living beings with the right balance of good and evil, can wield untold power in either of the spirit realms... That's why living flesh is a delicacy here, why Demons hunger for the blood of mortals, Angels, and Gods, to give them clarity and a power boost that can't be matched. Fucked up, eh? I'll keep my fried chicken, thank you very much! Lord knows that Demons taste terrible, even when they're cooked!"

Suddenly, a bright light shone and a massive portal opened up before the two of them, revealing a beautiful, white world. A cool mist exited from the portal and caressed Kano's skin on the floor. It was refreshing, inviting, invigorating. Jarek stared into the portal and pondered aloud, "Is my time up already? Where do I go from here? From one hole to another?" Jarek walked towards the light, intrigued with what lay beyond it. "I've dreamt of this place for so many nights. I saw it in my dreams, I saw it when I was awake, it came to the point where I thought that it was real and this Hell was fake. But they are both real, I traveled in both without ever being present in one or the other. Have I always been alive? I'm sure I died and went somewhere... Didn't I? Was I saved before or am I being saved now? Where do I fit? Where do I belong?"

As Jarek stepped closer to the portal, Kano panicked. "W-wait a minute," he asked nervously, "where are you going? Take me with you! Please! I'm a changed man, I don't belong here anymore!" With Jarek no longer concentrating on his home, the cave slowly transformed from a comfortable abode into a simple lair. The rug disappeared from beneath Kano, the water dried up, the torches burnt out, the silk faded away, the plants crumbled, and the air became hot and disgusting. Kano was still lying limbless on the floor and unable to escape.

Jarek turned around and sadly looked at him. "I can't save you. You had all the chances in life to do something right, and you didn't; you do belong down here, while I earned my freedom before it was too late. I had a chance to be more than the bad guy, and I took it. I saved people I never knew, and helped out when I didn't have to. Shao Kahn, Shinnok, Quan Chi, I bet they all could've offered me something great to betray Earth and the heroes I fought alongside, but I can only be so much of a scumbag. All I can do is leave you this." Jarek waved his hand, and Kano was covered in a blue energy. "This shield'll protect you from everything so you can heal without any worries. When you have legs to walk again, it'll disappear, but at least you can rest until then. Good bye, Kano, and good luck down here... You'll need it."

As Jarek stepped through the portal, Kano caught a glimpse of a man with long, white hair welcoming Jarek with open arms, along with a young black man with white tattoos on his body and, oddly enough, a glowing white being who resembled Jarek.

When the portal closed completely, Kano remained in the dark cave, blanketed in the shield, with nothing to do... All alone, out of the chaos, and unable to escape until he healed. It would take weeks for his limbs to grow back, but it would mean nothing in the end. All the remorse he felt for his actions in life, all his desires to make things right again, all the tears he wept out of shame and sorrow, were not enough to change his fate. He chose the path he wanted and now he would pay the ultimate price. He quietly cried as he realized that he had nothing left, and nothing would change in his favour this time. He would remain forever trapped in the Netherealm until the realm ceased to exist, avoiding the Demons of his former life as well as those who served Lord Baphomet. Maybe if he was lucky, he would find the Scrivener and ask him to change his judgement, but with no allies or friends to help him, Kano knew he had no hope for a better future. He was truly in his own personal level of Hell.


End file.
